China News Agency, Beijing, February 3 (Reporter Chen Su) The reporter learned from the China National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Forestry and Grassland Administration) on the 3rd that since the implementation of the natural forest protection project in China, a total of 332 million cubic meters of natural forest logging has been reduced.
At the press conference held that day, Zhang Liming, director of the Ecological Construction Engineering Management Center of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, introduced the relevant situation of China's key forestry and grassland ecological projects.
Zhang Liming said that China's natural forest protection project was launched in 1998 and fully launched in 2000. It is an important symbol of China's forestry shifting from timber production to ecological protection and construction of ecological civilization.
By the end of 2020, the central government has invested a total of more than 500 billion yuan in funds, and the scope of natural forest protection projects has expanded from key areas to 31 provinces across the country. Commercial logging of natural forests has changed from a cessation of logging and production reduction to a complete stop, and the cumulative reduction of natural forest logging by 3.32% 100 million cubic meters, the natural forest protection and restoration system and institutional system have been fully established, and the project construction has achieved remarkable ecological, economic and social benefits, and achieved the expected goals.
Zhang Liming said that China's natural forest resources continue to grow. The area of natural forests has increased by 323 million mu and the stock volume has increased by 5.3 billion cubic meters compared with before the project started.
The ecological functions of natural forests have been significantly improved, and the annual water conservation and sand and soil fixation per unit area of natural forests have increased by 53% and 46% respectively compared with those before the project started.
The effective restoration of the natural forest ecosystem has greatly promoted the improvement of the habitat environment of wild animals.
At the same time, the economic and social transformation and development of state-owned forest areas has accelerated, people's livelihood in forest areas has continued to improve, people plant and protect greenery, and awareness of ecological protection has increased significantly.
"Since the implementation of the natural forest protection project, China's natural forest resources have been effectively protected and fully recuperated. The area and accumulation have continued to increase, but the problems of weak functions and low quality are still prominent." Zhang Liming said that according to monitoring, in the present Among the natural forest resources, there are about 400 million mu of unreasonable structure, low function and poor natural regeneration that need to be artificially promoted and restored.
Therefore, effectively improving the quality and benefit of natural forests is one of the main tasks of natural forest protection and restoration in the coming period.
According to reports, by the end of 2020, the second phase of China's natural forest protection project has completed various construction tasks.
In order to maintain the sustainable development of natural forest protection and restoration, China has further compiled the "National Natural Forest Protection and Restoration Medium and Long-Term Plan (2021-2035)", which proposes the strategic layout, objectives and tasks and guarantee measures for natural forest protection and restoration in the new era.
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